L'Etivaz Cheese factory
Fooling around at the gift shop
Where cheese comes from
Old-fashioned European town
What it looks like on the outside
US tourist camera whores on the insideMonday, June 30, 2008
Week 1, Part 2
Wednesday:
L'Etivaz Cheese factory
Fooling around at the gift shop
Where cheese comes from
Old-fashioned European town
What it looks like on the outside
US tourist camera whores on the inside
L'Etivaz Cheese factoryFooling around at the gift shopWhere cheese comes fromOld-fashioned European townWhat it looks like on the outsideUS tourist camera whores on the inside
Week 1, Part 1
Monday:
Glion Institute for Higher Education, according to its website, is the 3rd best university for hospitality management in the world. While I had trouble with the people in the beginning, I love the setting Our dorms were almost half hotel like, and our food, I think, is delicious. Today we had our first day of class and we got a tour of the town, walking along the lake, visiting the mall where we could purchase anything we might need. I'm not used to not living in the city, where everything is close by and all people do is shop. Afterwards was our formal dinner, it was stuffy and hot, but the food was good.
Tuesday:Etiquette 101
- always set up according to the environment & occasion, dress up or down appropriately
- table decorations and setting should not deter from the purpose of the practicality of eating dinner
- be very picky, detail oriented
- plate should be on the edge of the table
- utensils should by placed on the edge of the plate
- chairs should be halfway under the table
- if there's a crease on the tablecloth, make sure utensils are the same distance away from the crease
- glasses are cleaned by holding over steam and wiped
American way- hands under the table if not in use
European way-hands should never leave sight
French way- if fork is upside down (the stick things is pointing down, making a little hill) it means "I'm not satisfied"
Glion Institute for Higher Education, according to its website, is the 3rd best university for hospitality management in the world. While I had trouble with the people in the beginning, I love the setting Our dorms were almost half hotel like, and our food, I think, is delicious. Today we had our first day of class and we got a tour of the town, walking along the lake, visiting the mall where we could purchase anything we might need. I'm not used to not living in the city, where everything is close by and all people do is shop. Afterwards was our formal dinner, it was stuffy and hot, but the food was good.
Tuesday:Etiquette 101
- always set up according to the environment & occasion, dress up or down appropriately
- table decorations and setting should not deter from the purpose of the practicality of eating dinner
- be very picky, detail oriented
- plate should be on the edge of the table
- utensils should by placed on the edge of the plate
- chairs should be halfway under the table
- if there's a crease on the tablecloth, make sure utensils are the same distance away from the crease
- glasses are cleaned by holding over steam and wiped
American way- hands under the table if not in use
European way-hands should never leave sight
French way- if fork is upside down (the stick things is pointing down, making a little hill) it means "I'm not satisfied"
First day in GIHE
Sunday:
After a night of small adventures in Geneva, the six of us woke up ready to go to school. At 10am we went back to the airport to sign in, found out my luggage will arrive in 2 hours, but will be delivered at 5pm, and took the first available train to Montreux. Montreux is on the other side of Lake Geneva, so if you see the picture, they carved out Southern Switzerland perfectly so this lake will stick out and take up half the lake and France will occupy the other half.
The view from my room. I'll be waking up to this everyday for the next month. Across the lake is France. To the left is more towns, the Alps (although I'm not sure if it's pictured) and the French border.
To the right and below is Montreux and some Swiss hills. Montreux is our local town and where the jazz festival will be held during the month of July.
Our view is gorgeous because the school is on a hill looking over the lake. What they don't tell you is that it's humid, and Europeans don't use air conditioning. The sun sets here at around 10pm. They also don't tell you living in Switzerland is expensive, even for summer school.
After a night of small adventures in Geneva, the six of us woke up ready to go to school. At 10am we went back to the airport to sign in, found out my luggage will arrive in 2 hours, but will be delivered at 5pm, and took the first available train to Montreux. Montreux is on the other side of Lake Geneva, so if you see the picture, they carved out Southern Switzerland perfectly so this lake will stick out and take up half the lake and France will occupy the other half.
The view from my room. I'll be waking up to this everyday for the next month. Across the lake is France. To the left is more towns, the Alps (although I'm not sure if it's pictured) and the French border.
To the right and below is Montreux and some Swiss hills. Montreux is our local town and where the jazz festival will be held during the month of July.
Our view is gorgeous because the school is on a hill looking over the lake. What they don't tell you is that it's humid, and Europeans don't use air conditioning. The sun sets here at around 10pm. They also don't tell you living in Switzerland is expensive, even for summer school.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
85 - 17 = Disruption of Society As We Know It !
There are 85 girls on my Switzerland program, 17 of them are BOYS. That means there are 68 girls running around in one school. Initially, everyone was worried about the high potential of caddy-ness that could ensue. Me, I was worried about the changing numbers of the world. How many more girls are more outgoing in studying abroad than boys? How many more females are accomplishing more than boys? There's no doubt the role of women in society has changed and will continue to change society, but has it almost reached the level that it has surpassed men, in a men's world?
We know that girls do better on SAT than boys. We know that minority status females do almost twice as better in terms of life status (education, career, income, etc...) than their male counterpart. We know the US undergraduate demographics is roughly if not already 60 female and 40 male. We also know that females don't get the better job or the better salary than males do. We know because of it, girls have to try harder to compete among girls compared to boys. We know that because of it boys do less and are given more options. How is it, after all this time, after all this supposed, celebrated progress, we (girls) play this game according the rules somebody else makes, do better than the rule-makers, yet are left to suffer the consequences of your shortcomings with a loser status?
Without trying to be political, is Obama the real change? Or is it a general world consensus to compromise over a greater, and more fearful change? I only ask this because my conservative fool of a father said that America was more willing to have a black man than a woman. Both my parents have an idea that I don't agree with them, I don't think sex and race should be considered in evaluating a person. But they don't see my point of view and brush it off as a "younger generation" idealism that's not in touch with the real world. In the real world, sex and racism makes a difference and is important. My parents are my portal to conservative views, and I know the people they are around share their perspectives.I can understand where they're coming from, even if I don't agree with it. But it doesn't feel like they understand me, like they don't consider where I'm coming from. They don't want to wonder about other people's perspective.
I've thought about being a boy before. First thing that came to mind were uncomfortable external organs and uncontrollable urges. Second most dreaded thing was asking girls out, how nerve wrecking. Would the world be a better place if we all fantasized about what would happen if the world was a little different? If our perspectives were a little different? We would understand each other a lot better, I think, and maybe we're not so different after all. But yes, boys are losers. Throw rocks at them. Let's see what happens.
If you're bored:
Time Magazine article
New York Opt Ed
We know that girls do better on SAT than boys. We know that minority status females do almost twice as better in terms of life status (education, career, income, etc...) than their male counterpart. We know the US undergraduate demographics is roughly if not already 60 female and 40 male. We also know that females don't get the better job or the better salary than males do. We know because of it, girls have to try harder to compete among girls compared to boys. We know that because of it boys do less and are given more options. How is it, after all this time, after all this supposed, celebrated progress, we (girls) play this game according the rules somebody else makes, do better than the rule-makers, yet are left to suffer the consequences of your shortcomings with a loser status?
Without trying to be political, is Obama the real change? Or is it a general world consensus to compromise over a greater, and more fearful change? I only ask this because my conservative fool of a father said that America was more willing to have a black man than a woman. Both my parents have an idea that I don't agree with them, I don't think sex and race should be considered in evaluating a person. But they don't see my point of view and brush it off as a "younger generation" idealism that's not in touch with the real world. In the real world, sex and racism makes a difference and is important. My parents are my portal to conservative views, and I know the people they are around share their perspectives.I can understand where they're coming from, even if I don't agree with it. But it doesn't feel like they understand me, like they don't consider where I'm coming from. They don't want to wonder about other people's perspective.
I've thought about being a boy before. First thing that came to mind were uncomfortable external organs and uncontrollable urges. Second most dreaded thing was asking girls out, how nerve wrecking. Would the world be a better place if we all fantasized about what would happen if the world was a little different? If our perspectives were a little different? We would understand each other a lot better, I think, and maybe we're not so different after all. But yes, boys are losers. Throw rocks at them. Let's see what happens.
If you're bored:
Time Magazine article
New York Opt Ed
I Suck at First Impressions
... As evident in my very poor choice of words for the title of this entry. The airport lost my luggage. I want my stuff back. I wish I spoke French so I don't have to feel so left out. Call it materialism, but I don't feel like myself when I don't have my stuff. I need my things to remind me of my identity, the type of clothes I wear, the type of music I have, the different products I put on my chubby little face. What we use to identify ourselves is especially important when it comes to what type of person you are and what types of people you associate yourself with. Without my stuff, without my identity, I really didn't feel like meeting people on , especially people who had their stuff. Oh, and I'm sad because the letter "E" fell out of the keyboard on my laptop :(
On the first few days, I was a bit deterred I wasn't going to make friends and connect with people. Compared to the other people, I felt like I was this undeveloped girl who didn't really have a good grasp on life. Everybody here seems to make friends so fast, and talk about a hundred subjects a minute, I had trouble getting people to respond to my questions, which is the only way I know how to get a conversation going. And there were tall people, and there were white people. There were also tall, white people, people I wasn't used to being around, people that make me nervous. I don't think other people have such a problem meeting other people. I guess I'm one of those people who have to try harder to make friends, sometimes it's hard for me to open up and try and connect with people. This year taught me the walls I built around myself are wide and deep; and looking back, I've always had them.
On the first few days, I was a bit deterred I wasn't going to make friends and connect with people. Compared to the other people, I felt like I was this undeveloped girl who didn't really have a good grasp on life. Everybody here seems to make friends so fast, and talk about a hundred subjects a minute, I had trouble getting people to respond to my questions, which is the only way I know how to get a conversation going. And there were tall people, and there were white people. There were also tall, white people, people I wasn't used to being around, people that make me nervous. I don't think other people have such a problem meeting other people. I guess I'm one of those people who have to try harder to make friends, sometimes it's hard for me to open up and try and connect with people. This year taught me the walls I built around myself are wide and deep; and looking back, I've always had them.
Sleepyhead In Flight
8:50 AM Western Pacific- My dad calls with a groggy voice I hadn't heard in a long time. To add onto an already hectic morning, he tells me to wait for him to come to our house to say goodbye before mum takes me to the airport. He says he only just woke up because they got back late from their important business meeting in Vegas. My mom gets mad & my sister is ambivalent.
9:10 AM WP- Dad arrives frantic to see his daughter before she leaves. Furious Mum from dad's presence forgets to be nervous and controlling and annoying and bossy. Sunglasses obscuring his tired, damaged eyes, mouthwash disguising the state of his teeth, baseball cap covering his graying hair, and a clean set of clothes all to hide the fact that he was not ready for the day because of the night before. But he was dressed as best as he could to say goodbye; sad attire for sad occasion. Does he not know he did this to himself? Age is beginning to show on his body, and its already suffering the consequences. Again with this. And again, I am the only one who gives him my sympathy for trying.
11:00 AM WP- LA traffic wasn't that bad this morning, so w didn't have to rush out the door after all. US Airways have this fast electronic self check-in everybody needs full assistance on. What the fuck is up with that? Why are we replacing humans with inefficient computers? Is it cheaper? Really? Is it better? Turns out, my flight got delayed. I'm not flying out of LA to Philadelphia to Frankfurt to Geneva. I'm flying out of La to Philadelphia to LONDON to Geneva. Heathrow Airport!
12:30PM WP- Goodbye wretched LAC. Goodbye Mommy. I know you care, and I know you worry because of my mistake, but I can't breathe when you're taking away my air. Goodbye sister. Goodbye Daddy.
6:00 PM WP / 9:00PM Eastern Atlantic- 5 hours later! I've never been to the East Coast, did you know they have lights? I saw a baseball stadium that looked like an illuminated castle with a full parking lot for its gigantic moat. A hour later I'm leaving for London, where I will sit next to this adorable Italian tourist and his family who didn't know English. He said salut when I sneezed.
3:00 AM WP / 11:00 AM London Time- The weather is NOICE, muggy gray blanket blocking out the sun and keeping in the beautiful gloom. I later found out it's actually a little humid in the UK, and I actually never stepped outside. I'll be here for 3 glorious hours looking like I need a shower! I hate US airways, they have shitty food that isn't provided with the service, and they have shitty service. Cathay Pacific spoiled me. Heathrow Airport is NOICE. They've got duty free designer labels here: Prada, Gucci, Coach and Dior, oh my! Too bad American money isn't worth shit here.
5:00AM WP / 1:00 AM London Time- Stuffy leather-like seats sitting around the cutest english accent I've ever head in a British Airways plane. I couldn't stay awake even though we were passing over London, the Channel, and Paris. In my head I kept telling myself, it's almost over, your troubles are behind you. I didn't know they chase after you so quickly, and I didn't know the new ones that were coming.
9:10 AM WP- Dad arrives frantic to see his daughter before she leaves. Furious Mum from dad's presence forgets to be nervous and controlling and annoying and bossy. Sunglasses obscuring his tired, damaged eyes, mouthwash disguising the state of his teeth, baseball cap covering his graying hair, and a clean set of clothes all to hide the fact that he was not ready for the day because of the night before. But he was dressed as best as he could to say goodbye; sad attire for sad occasion. Does he not know he did this to himself? Age is beginning to show on his body, and its already suffering the consequences. Again with this. And again, I am the only one who gives him my sympathy for trying.
11:00 AM WP- LA traffic wasn't that bad this morning, so w didn't have to rush out the door after all. US Airways have this fast electronic self check-in everybody needs full assistance on. What the fuck is up with that? Why are we replacing humans with inefficient computers? Is it cheaper? Really? Is it better? Turns out, my flight got delayed. I'm not flying out of LA to Philadelphia to Frankfurt to Geneva. I'm flying out of La to Philadelphia to LONDON to Geneva. Heathrow Airport!
12:30PM WP- Goodbye wretched LAC. Goodbye Mommy. I know you care, and I know you worry because of my mistake, but I can't breathe when you're taking away my air. Goodbye sister. Goodbye Daddy.
6:00 PM WP / 9:00PM Eastern Atlantic- 5 hours later! I've never been to the East Coast, did you know they have lights? I saw a baseball stadium that looked like an illuminated castle with a full parking lot for its gigantic moat. A hour later I'm leaving for London, where I will sit next to this adorable Italian tourist and his family who didn't know English. He said salut when I sneezed.
3:00 AM WP / 11:00 AM London Time- The weather is NOICE, muggy gray blanket blocking out the sun and keeping in the beautiful gloom. I later found out it's actually a little humid in the UK, and I actually never stepped outside. I'll be here for 3 glorious hours looking like I need a shower! I hate US airways, they have shitty food that isn't provided with the service, and they have shitty service. Cathay Pacific spoiled me. Heathrow Airport is NOICE. They've got duty free designer labels here: Prada, Gucci, Coach and Dior, oh my! Too bad American money isn't worth shit here.
5:00AM WP / 1:00 AM London Time- Stuffy leather-like seats sitting around the cutest english accent I've ever head in a British Airways plane. I couldn't stay awake even though we were passing over London, the Channel, and Paris. In my head I kept telling myself, it's almost over, your troubles are behind you. I didn't know they chase after you so quickly, and I didn't know the new ones that were coming.
Friday, June 20, 2008
San Diego
I know it's only an hour and a half from Los Angeles, but San Diego culture is something else. A year ago I would have said it was something along the lines of "nonexistent" or "devoid," but I'm beginning to think its just really laissez faire. As in, no one really cares if a drunk guy steeped in the smell of fried onions wanders into Starbucks and starts talking to people. No one raises an eyebrow to the reaaaally scantily clad, sun-wrinkled 50-something woman walking down Garnet Avenue in PB.
Is it because no one is really from here (seemingly) so there isn't an expectation of normalcy, or what?
I just got a text from Jessica--she is boarding her flight to Switzerland. Best of luck, Jess!
Speaking of lack-of-normal (in reference to the wrinkly woman, not Jessica), I'm gonna go get a coffee at Lestat's. And maybe go to the beach. It's hot today!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Hellos
Hi! We're Jess and April, over the Summer we'll be bouncing across the world and into the great unknown. Keep up with our overseas shenanigans here, at jessandapril.blogspot.com :)
So, just to get you started....intros!
Jessica is...
-A UCI student of International Studies/Economics/Accounting/Tofu/Life
-From LA<--San Gabriel Valley, specifically
-A lover of Japan(ese food and culture) and Brit(ain/ish things)
-Short and smart. And angry.
-Not infrequently hit on at CeFiore in Little Tokyo
-One who lives simply and ponders deeply
-A melancholy thinker
-Not what or who you would expect her to be
(written by April)
April is...
- An upcoming third-year UCSD student studying people, culture, & writing majoring in Anthropology and English/Literature with a minor in Fish/Fish Ideology Consumption and Fruits
- From LA, specifically world famous city of Ghetto Alhambra
- One of few in this world with conviction
- A fan of public television and KCET
- Someone who loves spending time with nature
- Believes in color and lives for vibrance
- An independent ray of sunshine
(written by Jessica)
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